1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical power management systems, and more particularly, to systems, methods, apparatus, network topography, security and data packets for messaging for electric power grid elements via communications networks including but not limited to secure Internet Protocol, wired or wireless networks.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, electric power management systems and network-based communications for an electric power grid are known. However, most prior art systems and methods apply to normal grid management, macro (large) generation subsystems, transmission subsystems, distributions systems, utility management of meters and meter data, where raw data is communicated by wired and wireless network communications infrastructure and stored in databases for later processing at predetermined time periods.
Furthermore, prior art exists regarding the construction of private networks for grid operators, market participants, utilities and combinations thereof whereby a combination of privately owned networks, the use of common carrier and traditional telephony networks are utilized for this command, control, telemetry, metrology, and settlement messages. Historically, this communications infrastructure and the transmission formats utilized by electric grid operators has relied upon technologies that have evolved as control systems have evolved. For example, analog circuits that carried low bit rate packets and information could be carried over “plain old telephone service” (POTS), microwave communications, and physical links of various types that are known in the art. Over time, both wireline and wireless infrastructure evolved to digital formats that have been the backbone for both privately owned, privately provisioned and public network infrastructure. These formats, primarily synchronous networks and also Time Division Multiplex (TDM) networks followed the analog modulation schemes by offering greater capacity over both copper and wireless infrastructure, but leading to great innovations in speed and reliability with the advent of synchronous optical networks (SONET), Digital Wireless Standards inclusive of Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and many proprietary methods for transporting information digitally necessary for the overall function, registration, operation, command, control and participation of grid elements and their logical control infrastructure for grid stability and reliability.
In the last 10 years, great innovation has been made and adopted in the telecommunications sectors regarding the known art of Internet Protocol transport and security. The Open Systems Interface (OSI) architecture, itself derived from X.25 among others in packet switching. Similarly, advances in digital switching has reduced the electronics and physical or virtual connections and multiplexing to more efficient asynchronous formats that incorporate various methods for increasing the speed and reliability of IP transport connections. Ethernet connections now are the new telecommunications standards that heretofore would have been more accepted for local area network connectivity are now the standard for most data traffic, particularly those IP packets that do not require priority, security, or are for non-critical infrastructure.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission accepted the filings of AT&T, Spring, Verizon among other common carriers, local exchange carriers, and intra/interlata carriers who are authorized to transport voice or other “non-information” services traffic to convert the legacy “POTS”, analog, and synchronous digital (TDM) connections to an all Internet Protocol infrastructure for ALL connections within the carriers' service territories or FCC granted licensed areas if the common carriers are also wireless service providers. The process of conversion has been in fact started in the carriers' core fiber interconnections as the fiber cores have been converted from SONET and Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) networks to advanced high speed transport methods such as Multiple Packet Lable Switching (MPLS). There are many efficiencies for the carriers and they also provide for a more distributed infrastructure for both traditional voice services and data transport services.
Further FCC Action in 2011 dealing with the interconnection of DOCIS (cable standard) for data transport in both synchronous but primarily synchronous formats of voice video and data within fiber or hybrid fiber coax delivery systems AND voice service common carriers over pure IP formats (Vonage as an example) combined with the rollout of all IP third generation wireless infrastructure and now fourth generation standards such as Long Term Evolution, also known as 4G and the soon to be released TIA/IEEE standards for firth generation wireless services, advances in antenna and software that have delivered advances in IEEE 802.11-X (a, b, d, g, n and its successors) have increased the bit rates that take advantage of IP's inherent routing, reliability, and efficiency.
Unfortunately for traditional wireline common carriers and local exchange carriers, this movement to both “cutting the cord” with wireless phones being landline replacements and the movement away from analog and lower bit rate digital (TDM) technologies, the Federal Government, which has previously classified IP traffic carrier between carriers and Internet Service Providers as an “Information Service” not subject to Federal or State Level Public Utility Commission oversight, has decided that new Federal rules regarding voice traffic carried by IP protocol must be re-visited as whether or not the voice component is an “Information Service” or constitutes a service that is subject to new interconnection rules between the carriers, the ISPs, the Cable Industry, the Service Only providers and the Wireless Carriers.
There are many drivers for the FCC to take this action, independent of the background and history of how the electric power grid also utilizes these networks. In previous interconnection rules, carriers that interconnected their voice and or data traffic with each other did so through highly negotiated contracts. In these contracts, each carrier where the traffic originated, was compensated reciprocally from the terminating carrier (wireless or wireline) for traffic TERMINATED in the adjacent carrier's network. At the end of a pre-negotiated time frame, generally monthly, the totals for minutes of use, erlangs, or Megabits (MB) delivered were reconciled and inter-carrier compensation was awarded to the net provider of “traffic” to the terminating carrier. Furthermore, one of the charges that ALL carriers charged their customers on these legacy networks were taxes and fees to fund rural telecommunications infrastructure build-out that has been funded from traffic for decades. The “Universal Service Fund” (USF) was set up for rural communities and their service providers to have access to Federal Grant money to fund rural deployments and upgrades with the goal of keeping rural America at the same level of innovation as urban areas. As the transitions aforementioned have taken place, particularly with the introduction of IP transport for voice video and data, the dollars flowing in the USF fund and therefore the money available for grant to rural communities has been dropping drastically for many years, forcing the FCC to re-evaluate, with these combination of forces, its definition of IP based voice services as eligible for USF tariffs.
Under the FCC's Order the FCC in 2012 codified in the Federal Register that inter-carrier compensation for IP voice was to no longer be constrained by the definition of every packet that would or could be transported by the Internet or IP infrastructure, wireline or wireless as an “Information Service.”
The FCC further so ordered that all carriers would track voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP separately from other data services for USF funding under a new “Bill and Keep) methodology wherein voice traffic, regardless of its origin and format, would be tracked now from the originating network and billed by the network provider regardless if it is delivered to an adjacent network. The order also when further in providing that each carrier, regardless of its type would provide a defined “Point of Interface” for the interconnection of IP packets, voice traffic or other data traffic” for common interface or boundaries for where carriers could pass IP traffic from one network boundary or carrier to the next. These FCC orders and the corresponding hearing, comments from carriers and requests for reconsideration are public information that can be found at the FCC's website www.fcc.gov.
The additional issue that has recently been resolved in the DC Court of Appeals deals with the concept of “Net Neutrality.” The FCC in 2008 under former Chairman Genokowski, so ordered carriers that operated Internet Protocol networks, ISPs or any network provider that passed IP packets that offering “Priority Access” that would take advantage of IP Protocol's natural OSI protocols to order packets in the most important order as determined by the carrier and the application would not be permitted. This order was controversial as it allowed for pure applications companies to utilize carrier networks to transport bandwidth intensive services regardless of their impact to the overall speed, reliability and capacity of the transport links. Companies that offer bandwidth intensive applications, e.g. music, video, or live streaming, would have in effect under the “Net Neutral” protocols the same priority of transport as a critical infrastructure such as emergency services or critical infrastructure communications necessitated by the operations of an electric power grid or the market participant.
As a result, grid operators, utilities, market participants have generally constructed private networks for their operations to insure that their traffic, carried either through their owned transport (wireless, fiber, copper etc.) would have priority over being carried within the public or common carrier infrastructure. Where that infrastructure is used, the additional cost was spent for dark fiber, dedicated network capacity, private radio networks as examples amongst those already discussed.
In 2013, the DC Court of Appeals struck down the FCC's Net Neutrality order after the FCC was sued by a combination of carriers. In the Order (get some quotes), the Courts affirmed the Carriers ability in combination with the new requirements under the USF requirement for differentiating and accounting for VoIP as a service subject to the USF and the Bill and Keep orders, the Courts affirmed that the networks could define the use of their networks and charge, provision and allocate resources, including priority access, as the network carriers and providers saw fit.
The impacts of this transformation of the carrier infrastructure may not be obvious to one not ordinarily skilled in the art, but the net effect is that in essence the accepted filings from the network carriers of the decommissioning of the legacy “POTS”, TDM, Frame Relay, ATM, SONET, or legacy networks is that in essence all networks that are used in grid operations of any kind and from any generator, market participant, grid operator, market manager, and/or utility will have to be redesigned under a secure Internet protocol secure network infrastructure before 2020; therefore, a need exists for definitions, specifications, systems, and apparatus to be developed for the migration from traditional grid operations to an all Internet Protocol, managed, secure, network and associated messaging.
The changes that have been described infrastructure and with new distributed data and software applications, the net effect for the electric power grid is that it now will abandon older technologies and embrace applications and network elements that can be provisioned by wireline and wireless carriers. Furthermore, these new IP devices and the ability for the carriers to define new points of interface provide for a need to invent new methods and apparatus on how the electric power grid, water, gas, or any commodity or service that can be distributed and stored in databases for later processing at predetermined time periods to be implemented on these newly soon to be designed networks.
Prior art also provides for controls managing the electric power grid and systems for collecting many different messages for telemetry, which are used to deactivate or reduce power supplied to predetermined service points from the grid, and for advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) data that is communicated in raw data form from meters to data aggregators and to servers associated with the utilities providing the electric power measured by the meters.
Collecting, transmitting, storing, and analyzing information associated with a variety of devices associated with the electric power grid is also known in the art. Settlement for macro energy supply, energy storage, energy demand, and/or curtailment as supply is known in the prior art; however, most settlement includes manual and/or non-real-time settlement including significant estimation or modeled data where actual data is missing or not collected, and/or utilization of validation energy equivalence (VEE), and/or collected and settled over a period of time whereby actual contributions by sources/suppliers of generation are not fully known and are estimated and applied to all Market Participants in some cases a full year after a generation day. So communication of raw data from AMI and other meters does not provide effective data for immediate settlement without substantial analysis and modification or “washing” of the data after its communication to remote servers, usually operated by utilities associated with the power supplied over the grid. In any case, the meters typically transmit raw data to an aggregator without any analysis, sorting, modifying, or action on the data; and typically, the meters do not provide security or prioritization on the messaging of the raw data they transmit.
Also, it is known in the prior art to provide messaging associated with customer billing for utilities. Generally, utilities messages associated with customer billing include analog data such as pulses from a meter sent in a raw data form from the meter to a billing system associated with the utility providing the electricity to the customer associated with the meter. By way of example, consider US Patent Application Publication No. 20110161250 published Jun. 30, 2011 and filed May 4, 2010 for Distributed Energy Generator Monitor and method of use by inventors Koeppel, et al., which describes methods and systems for monitoring at least one distributed energy generator including the steps of receiving utility bill information relating to an existing utility of a customer, and measured energy information from the distributed energy generator of the customer, and generating a bill for measured energy from the distributed energy generator, the bill taking into account the utility bill information related to the existing utility. The system includes customer and public user interfaces to view data from the customer billing system on distributed energy generator production, carbon emissions reduced, and energy cost savings delivered to customers. The customer billing system includes messaging, but it is limited to pulse counting and emailing the pulse data. In paragraph [0026] of the publication, it is disclosed that the energy production, sale, and weather data can be sent to the customer billing system, wherein the pulses counted by the pulse energy meter, a temperature sensor reading, and an insolation sensor output can be combined into one data packet and transmitted to the customer billing system. The customer billing system in [0027] can enter the data into databases and converts the data from analog data into metric data. So the messaging of this reference provide only for the messaging of raw data, and more particularly, analog data such as pulse data.
Also, US Patent Application Publication No. 20090281674 published Nov. 12, 2009 and filed Feb. 11, 2009 for Distributed Energy Generator Monitor and method of use by inventor Taft, which describes a smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid including sensors and communications and computing technology such as bus structures dedicated to different types of data, such as operational/non-operational data, event processing data, grid connectivity data, and network location data; the buses may be used to transport the various types of data to other smart grid processes such as a centrally located controller. Also, this reference discloses the use of INDE Reference Architecture to enable integration of intelligent or smart grids into the electric power industry. It further teaches that the buses may comprise a local area network (LAN), such as Ethernet® over unshielded twisted pair cabling and Wi-Fi, and that hardware and/or software, such as a router, may be used to route data on data onto one bus among the different physical buses. And an IT environment may be SOA-compatible. Events may include messages and/or alarms originating from the various devices and sensors that are part of the smart grid. It further teaches routing devices that may determine how to route the data based on one or more methods, including routing devices that may examine one or more headers in the transmitted data to determine whether to route the data to the segment for the operational/non-operational data bus or to the segment for the event bus. Specifically, one or more headers in the data may indicate whether the data is operation/non-operational data (so that the routing device routes the data to the operational/non-operational data bus) or whether the data is event data (so that the routing device routes the event bus). Alternatively, the routing device may examine the payload of the data to determine the type of data (e.g., the routing device may examine the format of the data to determine if the data is operational/non-operational data or event data). By contrast to the present invention, nowhere does this reference disclose the use of IP packets in all messaging; also, this reference teaches that the buses are separate for performance purposes. For CEP processing, low latency may be important for certain applications, which are subject to very large message bursts. Most of the grid data flows, on the other hand, are more or less constant, with the exception of digital fault recorder files, but these can usually be retrieved on a controlled basis, whereas event bursts are asynchronous and random. Also, this reference teaches that the existing grid devices may have been designed to acquire and store data for occasional offload to some other device such as a laptop computer, or to transfer batch files via PSTN line to a remote host on demand. These devices may not be designed for operation in a real time digital network environment. In these cases, the grid device data may be obtained at the substation level, or at the operations control center level, depending on how the existing communications network has been designed. In the case of meters networks, it will normally be the case that data is obtained from the meter data collection engine, since meter networks are usually closed and the meters may not be addressed directly. As these networks evolve, meters and other grid devices may be individually addressable, so that data may be transported directly to where it is needed, which may not necessarily be the operations control center, but may be anywhere on the grid. Devices such as faulted circuit indicators may be married with wireless network interface cards, for connection over modest speed (such as 100 kbps) wireless networks. These devices may report status by exception and carry out fixed pre-programmed functions. The intelligence of many grid devices may be increased by using local smart RTUs. Instead of having poletop RTUs that are designed as fixed function, closed architecture devices, RTUs may be used as open architecture devices that can be programmed by third parties and that may serve as an INDE DEVICE in the INDE Reference Architecture. Also, meters at customers' premises may be used as sensors. For example, meters may measure consumption (such as how much energy is consumed for purposes of billing) and may measure voltage (for use in volt/V Ar optimization). The data from the one or more sensors may be sent to the Smart Meter, which may package the data for transmission to the operations control center via utility communication network. The in-home display may provide the customer at the customer premises with an output device to view, in real-time, data collected from Smart Meter and the one or more sensors. In addition, an input device (such as a keyboard) may be associated with in-home display so that the customer may communicate with the operations control center. In one embodiment, the in-home display may comprise a computer resident at the customer premises, and may further include controls that may control one or more devices at the customer premises. Various appliances at the customer premises may be controlled, such as the heater, air conditioner, etc., depending on commands from the operations control center. The customer premises may communicate in a variety of ways, such as via the Internet, the public-switched telephone network (PSTN), or via a dedicated line (such as via collector). Via any of the listed communication channels, the data from one or more customer premises may be sent. One or more customer premises may comprise a Smart Meter Network (comprising a plurality of smart meters), sending data to a collector for transmission to the operations control center via the utility management network. Further, various sources of distributed energy generation/storage (such as solar panels, etc.) may send data to a monitor control for communication with the operations control center via the utility management network. Also, the devices in the power grid outside of the operations control center may include processing and/or storage capability. In addition to the individual devices in the power grid including additional intelligence, the individual devices may communicate with other devices in the power grid, in order to exchange information (include sensor data and/or analytical data (such as event data)) in order to analyze the state of the power grid (such as determining faults) and in order to change the state of the power grid (such as correcting for the faults). Specifically, the individual devices may use the following: (1) intelligence (such as processing capability); (2) storage (such as the distributed storage discussed above); and (3) communication (such as the use of the one or more buses discussed above). In this way, the individual devices in the power grid may communicate and cooperate with one another without oversight from the operations control center. For example, the INDE architecture disclosed above may include a device that senses at least one parameter on the feeder circuit. The device may further include a processor that monitors the sensed parameter on the feeder circuit and that analyzes the sensed parameter to determine the state of the feeder circuit. For example, the analysis of the sense parameter may comprise a comparison of the sensed parameter with a predetermined threshold and/or may comprise a trend analysis. One such sensed parameter may include sensing the waveforms and one such analysis may comprise determining whether the sensed waveforms indicate a fault on the feeder circuit. The device may further communicate with one or more substations.
By way of example of existing prior art and commercial applications, in Texas, utility investment has occurred in high heat rate gas plants, and then natural gas became cheap, so these plants are having a difficult time competing with other market participants now, and so there is a capacity shortage in Texas. Without energy accounting that is accurate, then everyone is getting charged for whatever the utilities cannot account for.
Because it is easier to convert synchronous optical networking to asynchronous transport mode (ATM) to IP core (managed Ethernet) by changing electronics and converting after routers, the carriers who built fiber networks for delivery of content to end user consumers set up multiple VPNs for use cases. Voice has high priority; video has another priority; browsing has another priority. Prior art is known to provide different TCP/IP sessions and UDP sessions, which send a packet without security or confirmation of its arrival.
For power networks, TDM and analog telemetry inside DSO (channel) is provided, and T1 with channels that sample analog signals, convert them to digital, send down pipe, reconvert to analog at end are provided. In today's power networks, conversion takes place at the device, for example RTU is used to provide analog telemetry from energy management system, ACE equation from closed loop system, analog telemetry tells generator to increase or decrease output for frequency and voltage control, and for grid stability. Grid elements send raw analog telemetry, asynchronous or synchronous transport without encryption or security, connecting analog inputs and outputs, sending thru layers 1-3 in telecommunications networks, or private networks set up for market participants. In the clear, with PCM encoding, or equivalent, analog telemetry following controls of grid elements or market participants that are standardized power equations like ACE or in response to market events to control multiple units to put more or less power into the grid for operating reserves or base load into the grid.
By way of example, relevant prior art documents include the following: US Patent Application Publication No. 20120131100 GE published May 24, 2012 for Data collection from utility meters over advanced metering infrastructure by inventors Van Olst, et al., and assigned on the face of the document to General Electric, describes Data aggregators that provide an intermediate node in an AMI system between utility meters and head end system (as well as other back office systems). Data aggregators collect and transmit data with utility meters using data packets that can be native to individual meters. In other words, while meters are all spontaneously communicating, the data packaging formats, or protocols may differ from meter to meter. Illustrative meter data protocols include, e.g., C12.19, DLMS/COSEM, etc. Communication between the utility meters and data aggregators may be implemented in any fashion, e.g., power line carrier, GPRS/GSM/3G/4G modems, wireless technology, including mesh networks, IP networks, etc. A data aggregator generally includes: (1) a communications system for providing a communication channel with a set of meters; (2) a data collection system for collecting/interrogating data from the meters; (3) an aggregation system for aggregating data collected from different meters (in different data formats) into aggregated data in a unified address space; (4) a data presentation system for synchronizing the aggregated data over a back haul interface to one or more head end systems; and an asset management agent. Communications system includes all the messaging facilities necessary to support solicited, unsolicited, and broadcast functions to communicate with meters. A data aggregator addresses individual meters or broadcast to groups of meters, which is disclosed as able to be accomplished in any manner, e.g., communicating using TCP/IP or any other communication protocol.
Within data aggregator, data collection system, asset management agents and data presentation system implement group management strategies such that meter grouping activity performed on the head end system is disseminated to meters, and messages (e.g., behavior modification) targeting groups defined in the head end system are expeditiously propagated to the constituent meters. Once groupings are implemented, data aggregator can implement data transmission directives (e.g., public pricing messages), data collection directives (e.g., daily use data), or other directives from the head end system as a broadcast or multicast signals that address a group of utility meters. Signals are generally transmitted to utility meters without regard to their group membership.Aggregation system is responsible for managing spontaneous messages in an addressable memory space. Functions provided by aggregation system include the ability to: group the controllable data points such that commanding a change to a single controllable data point affects a set of meters in a defined group; disseminate grouping information to the communication modules in a plurality of utility meters; and broadcast a message addressed to groups of utility meters such that all meters receive the message. In addition, various time stamp and status indications such as link strength, self-test and other status indicators can be easily stored and managed by aggregation system. This reference also describes a meter provisioning process that depicts a meter having a communication card, a data aggregator, an asset management system, and a communication management system. In this example, a new meter is provisioned (i.e., placed into service). When this occurs, the meter's network node credentials are passed to, and verified by, an asset management agent residing on the data aggregator (A). Next, the data aggregator passes the credentials of the newly found meter to asset management system, which verifies the credentials and requests details (e.g., current settings, readings, locations, etc.) (B). Data aggregator relays the request back to meter and returns the details (C). The return details are then forwarded to asset management system, which then provisions meter (D), i.e., activates it within the infrastructure. Asset management system then forwards the meter details to the communication management system, which processes the information (E). Asset management system also forwards the meter details back to data aggregator, which processes and stores the details, configures the asset and obtains a return configuration complete notification (F). This configuration may include the group assignment of the meter. At any time thereafter, data aggregator can issue a data request to meter and obtain a response (G). Once the initial state of meter is known to data aggregator it will issue a spontaneous message back to the communication management system (e.g., a configuration change occurred) (H), service a data request, and return a data response (I) to complete synchronization of the internal data representation. Aspects of the AMI system described can be implemented in the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In one embodiment, the processing functions performed by communication card; data aggregator; and head end may be implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.
Additionally, relevant prior art documents associated with grid elements registration with systems and methods include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,698 filed Jul. 5, 2005 by inventors Uenou et al., issued Mar. 10, 2009, and assigned on the face of the issued patent document to IP Power Systems Corp. for Power consumption measuring device and power control system, describes a single phase, 3-wire watt-hour meter that measures power consumption, alters a contract capacity, controls the stop/start of power supply/distribution, and updates programs from a higher level control apparatus, including a central processing unit, a storing means, a communicating means, and interfaces; the device measures the detailed behavior of a power consumption by totaling a power consumption every 30 minutes (and a clocking process for clocking a standard time and for collecting data within that time), interlocks with a gas leakage detector and a fire alarm, controls opening/closing of rain doors and the operation/stop of Internet home electric appliances, and enables low-cost communication by means of dynamic IP address based communication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,022 for Power management coordinator system and interface, describes a power management system and interface providing a flexible and uniform protocol for controlling power management within a computer system including various software layers and add-in components; a programmable power policy manager, which allows user to define a performance/economy setting for the system that is communicated to all registered devices so that dwell and decay times are set by the device; and a programmable event sequencer, which maintains an event notification sequence and control sequence for power events; a programmable power budgeter that maintains and allocates power on a request basis for system elements; a programmable thermal budgeter that maintains and allocates energy based on thermal considerations; and a computer system including a bus for communicating address and data information, a central processor couple to the bus for executing instructions and processing data, and memory coupled to the bus for containing information, and a power management coordinator that includes a power management core for communication of power management information with system devices within the computer system under a uniform power management protocol, wherein particular devices are add-in devices requiring power management, and one of the devices provides programmable dwell time and decay time periods for power management of the add-in devices, wherein power events are generated by clients and broadcast by power management core to power management clients, including a power event sequencer for maintaining a particular sequence of communication about the power events.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,233 filed Oct. 10, 2006 by inventors Shankar et al., issued Jan. 10, 2012 and assigned on the face of the issued patent to American Grid, Inc., for Interconnected premises equipment for energy management, describing a system for facilitating direct monitoring and control of energy-consuming appliances, in real time, using automatic programmatic control and a plurality of human interfacing including local display and control, email, web browser, text messaging, and integrated voice response, and describing a monitoring and control coordinator that provides centralized coordination of functions and one or more communicating appliance interfaces that interact with energy consuming appliances that are interconnected via wired and wireless communication networks and protocols, wherein the system allows a user to regulate energy consumption of a premises for heating and air conditioning systems, including a premises control communication gateway in communication with the monitoring and control coordinator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,528 field Aug. 15, 2000 by inventors Bertram et al., issued Oct. 9, 2001, assigned on the face of the patent document to Robert Bosch GmbH, describes a method and an arrangement for controlling electric consumers in a vehicle that are suggested with a control structure provided for consumers, the control structure including at least a high-ranking consumer management that receives requests from the consumers with respect to consumer power individually or as sums; the control structure including a coordinator for the vehicle electrical system and power generation therefor, and for receiving the sum of the requested consumer power from the consumer management; the vehicle electric system adjusting the requested electric power via orders to the vehicle electrical system components and the consumer management taking the generated electrical power via control of the consumers.
US Patent Application Publication No. 20070067132 for Method and apparatus for routing data streams among intelligent electronic devices, disclosing an intelligent electronic device (IED) for protection, monitoring, controlling, metering, or automation of lines in an electrical power system, wherein the IED is adapted to communicated with a variety of other IEDs, including a communication configuration setting that is configured to allow communication with one of the other IEDs; and further including an input element in communication with the communication configuration setting, whereupon a signal from the input element selects a particular communication configuration setting therein, allowing for the communication with other IEDs. Also, including a data stream management device for routing data streams among IEDs associated with the electrical power system, wherein the data streams are substantially unaltered from sent and received forms, and an IED associated with the data stream management device and adapted to communicate with the other IEDs, wherein assertion of an input element selects a particular communication configuration setting.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,609,158 filed Oct. 26, 2006 issued Oct. 27, 2009 for inventors Banting et al., and assigned on the face of the patent document to Cooper Technologies Co., describes a communications network for an electrical power distribution system, the network communicating monitoring signals and control signals for a network of electrical circuits, the network including a sensor node with a sensor device configured to detect an operating condition of the transmission or distribution systems, a sensor communication node corresponding to the sensor device, and configured to transmit a first wireless signal corresponding to the detected operating condition of transmission/distribution, a control communication node separately provided from the sensor communication node, configured to receive the first wireless signal and transmit a second wireless signal corresponding to the first wireless signal, a gateway device in communication with the control communication node and receiving the second wireless signal, and wherein the sensed electrical signals are broadcast.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,259 field Jun. 15, 2007 for inventors Budhraja et al., issued Nov. 15, 2011 and assigned on the face of the patent document to Electric Power Group, LLC, (also see US Patent Application Pub. No. 20100100250) for Wide area, real time monitoring and visualization system, describes a real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electrical power grid, including grid portions having control areas, and monitoring of reliability metrics, generations metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid, wherein the metrics are stored in a database, and visualization of the metrics is displayed on a computer having a monitor.
US Patent Application Pub. No. 20090119039 filed Nov. 7, 2007 by inventors Banister et al., published May 7, 2009 and assigned on the face to SPROUTLETS, INC., describes an electrical power metering system including a plurality of gated power receptacles, each of them being configured to selectively provide electrical power in response to receiving a wireless signal, and further including a service application configured to receive a request to provide electrical power for one of the receptacles, the request including an identifier that designates the receptacle at which power is requested. A local host application executable on a computing device is configured to send wireless signals via a coordinator module to the receptacle to provide power in response to receiving a communication from the service application that includes the identifier.
Other prior art documents relating to electric power grid management and communications associated therewith are known. By way of example, consider the following US patent and US Patent Application Publication documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,022 issued Sep. 24, 1996, filed Jul. 19, 1994 by inventors Dunstand, et al., and assigned on the face of the document to Intel Corporation, for Power management coordinator system and interface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,528 issued Oct. 9, 2001, filed Aug. 15, 2000 by inventors Bertram et al., and assigned on the face of the patent to Robert Bosch GmbH for Method and device for controlling electric consumers in a motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,698 issued Mar. 10, 2009, filed Jul. 5, 2005 by inventors Uenou et al., and assigned on the face of the patent to IP Power Systems Corp., for Power consumption measuring device and power control system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,233 issued Jan. 10, 2012, filed Oct. 10, 2006 by inventors Shankar et al., and assigned on the face to American Grid, Inc., for Interconnected premises equipment for energy management.
US Patent Application Publication No. 20070067132 published Mar. 22, 2007 and filed Sep. 19, 2006 by inventors Tziouvaras et al., for Method and apparatus for routing data streams among intelligent electronic devices.
US Patent Application Publication No. 20080040479 filed Aug. 9, 2007 by inventors Bridge, et al. and assigned on the face of the publication to V2Green, Inc. for Connection locator in a power aggregation system for distributed electric resources, discloses a method to obtain the physical location of an electric device, such as an electric vehicle, and transforming the physical location into an electric network location, and further including receiving a unique identifier associated with a device in a physical location. See also related publications WO2008073477, US Pat. Application No.'s 20110025556, 20090043519, 20090200988, 20090063680, 20080040296, 20080040223, 20080039979, 20080040295, and 20080052145.
International Patent Application No. WO2011079235 filed Dec. 22, 2010 and published Jun. 30, 2011 by inventor Williams and assigned on the face of the document to Interactive Grid Solutions, LLC for Distributed energy sources system, describes an energy management system that includes distributed energy sources (for example a wind turbine) that communicate with consumer devices and electric utilities, wherein a CPU is in communication with the distributed energy source and is operable to control the flow of energy produced by the distributed energy source.
US Patent Application Pub. No. 20110282511 filed Mar. 26, 2011 and published Nov. 17, 2011 to inventor Unetich and assigned on the face of the document to Smart Power Devices Ltd for Prediction, communication and control system for distributed power generation and usage, describes an apparatus for obtaining, interpreting and communicating a user reliable and predictive information relevant to the price of electricity service at a prospective time.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,370 filed Aug. 9, 2007 and issued Nov. 30, 2010 by inventors Pollack et al. and assigned on the face of the document to GridPoint, Inc. for Scheduling and control in a power aggregation system for distributed electric resources, describes systems and methods for a power aggregation system in which a server establishes individual Internet connections to numerous electric resources intermittently connect to the power grid, such as electric vehicles, wherein the service optimizes power flows to suit the needs of each resource and each resource owner, while aggregating flows across numerous resources to suit the needs of the power grid, and further including inputting constraints of individual electric resources into the system, which signals them to provide power to take power from a grid.
US Patent Application Pub. No. 20090187284 filed Jan. 7, 2009 and published Jul. 23, 2009 by inventors Kreiss et al. for System and method for providing power distribution system information, describes a computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid, including a datamart comprised of physical databases storing utility data applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. See also US Pat. Application No.'s 20110270550, 20110270457, and 20110270454.
Prior art networks associated with electric power grid communications, including various communication methods are known. Today, a patchwork of systems exist to dispatch macro generation, implement demand response load management programs, dispatch of intermittent renewable resources, and energy management and control. These legacy systems are used for both supplying “Negawatts”, supply and grid stability to the electric utility grid. In the case of demand management, also referred to in the industry as “Demand Response”, various radio subsystems in various frequency bands utilize “one-way” transmit only methods of communication or most recently deployed a plurality of proprietary two-way methods of communications with electric customers or their load consuming device and measurement instruments including, by way of example, “smart meters.” In addition, macro generation is controlled and dispatched from centralized control centers either from utilities, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) or other Market Participants that utilize point to point primarily “Plain old telephone service” POTS dedicated low bit rate modems or nailed time division multiplex (TDM) circuits such as T-1s that supply analog telemetry to Energy Management Systems or in some cases physical dispatch to a human operator to “turn on” generation assets in response to grid supply needs or grid stress and high load conditions. These legacy systems operate under a framework supported for decades to attempt to increase the efficiency of existing transmission infrastructure and simultaneously attempt to supply each grid operator, Market Participant or end customer the lowest cost of energy regardless of the type of resource. Unfortunately, these legacy systems, in the industry referred to as “Security Constrained Economic Dispatch” (SCED) utilize complex models with incomplete information to provide both ISOs and Traditional Utilities a means to provide a generation forecast for the next generation time period (for example, day ahead).
SCED has not been successful in the facilitation of new technologies such as Demand Management, Advanced Curtailment contemplated under FERC Order 745, Advanced Storage contemplated under FERC Order 750, or Advanced Distributed Energy Resources contemplated under FERC Order 755.
Existing uses for traditional Demand Response technologies, that are not generally capable of performing to the level contemplated under FERC Order 745, but are used for peak shaving, utilities or other market participants install radio frequency (RF)-controlled relay switches typically attached to a customer's air conditioner, water heater, or pool pumps, or other individual load consuming devices. A blanket command is sent out to a specific geographic area whereby all receiving units within the range of the transmitting station (e.g., typically a paging network) are turned off during peak hours at the election of the power utility. After a period of time when the peak load has passed, a second blanket command is sent to turn on those devices that have been turned off. Furthermore integrating even these simple “load shifting” assets for purposes of settlements is problematic given that these traditional technologies cannot provide the necessary geodetic and other information necessary for these load sources to be integrated into an Energy Management System or settled under the traditional energy dispatch and settlement systems.
Most recent improvements that follow the same concepts for Demand Response are RF networks that utilize a plurality of mesh based, non-standard communications protocols that utilize IEEE 802.15.4 or its derivatives, or “ZigBee” protocol end devices to include load control switches, programmable thermostats that have pre-determined set points for accomplishing the “off” or “cut” or reduce command simultaneously or pre-loaded in the resident memory of the end device. These networks are sometimes referred to in the industry as “Home Area Networks” or (HANs). In these elementary and mostly proprietary solutions, a programmable control thermostat(s) (PCTs) or building management systems (BMS) move the set point of the HVAC (or affect another inductive or resistive device) or remove a resistive device from the electric grid thus accomplishing the same “load shifting” effect previously described. All of these methods require and rely on statistical estimations and modeling for measuring their effectiveness and use historical information that are transmitted via these same “smart meters”, interval device recorders (IDRs), or revenue grade meters, to provide after-the-fact evidence that an individual device or consumer complied with the demand response or market driven event. Protocols that are employed for these methods include “Smart Energy Profiles Versions 1 & 2” and its derivatives to provide utilities and their consumers an attempt at standardization amongst various OEMs of PCTs, switching, and control systems through a plurality of protocols and interfaces. These methods remain crude and do not include real time, measurement, verification, settlement and other attributes necessary to have their Demand Response effects utilized for effective Operating Reserves with the exception of limited programs for “Emergency” Capacity Programs as evidenced by programs such as the Energy Reliability Council of Texas' (ERCOT's) Emergency Interruptible Load Service (EILS). Furthermore, for effective settlement and control of mobile storage devices such as Electric Vehicles, these early “Smart Grid” devices are not capable of meeting the requirements of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) or other standards setting bodies such as the National Institute of Science & Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Roadmap.
While telemetering has been used for the express purpose of reporting energy usage in real time, no cost effective techniques exist for calculating power consumption, carbon gas emissions, sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emissions, and/or nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions, and reporting the state of a particular device under the control of a two-way positive control load management device or other combinations of load control and generator controls as previously described. In particular, one way wireless communications devices have been utilized to de-activate electrical appliances, such as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units, water heaters, pool pumps, and lighting or any inductive or resistive device that is eligible as determined by a utility or market participant for deactivation, from an existing electrical supplier or distribution partner's network. These devices have typically been used in combination with wireless paging receivers or FM radio carrier data modulation, or a plurality of 2-way proprietary radio frequency (RF) technologies that receive “on” or “off” commands from a paging transmitter or transmitter device. Additionally, the one-way devices are typically connected to a serving electrical supplier's control center via landline trunks, or in some cases, microwave transmission to the paging transmitter.
While one-way devices are generally industry standard and relatively inexpensive to implement, the lack of a return path from the receiver, combined with the lack of information on the actual devices connected to the receiver, make the system highly inefficient and largely inaccurate for measuring the actual load shed to the serving utility or compliant with measurement and verification for presenting a balancing authority or independent system operator for operating reserves and settlements. The aforementioned “two-way” systems are simultaneously defective in addressing real time and near real time telemetry needs that produce generation equivalencies that are now recognized by FERC Orders such as FERC 745 where measurable, verifiable Demand Response “Negawatts”, defined as real time or near real time load curtailment where measurement and verification can be provided within the tolerances required under such programs presented by FERC, NERC, or the governing body that regulate grid operations. The aforementioned “smart meters” in combination with their data collection systems commonly referred to as “Advanced Metering Infrastructure” (AMI) generally collect interval data from meters in historical fashion and report this information to the utility, market participant or grid operator after the utility or grid operator has sent notice for curtailment events or “control events” to initiate due to high grid stress that includes lack of adequate operating reserves to meet demand, frequency variations, voltage support and any other grid stabilizing needs as identified by the utility or grid operator and published and governed by FERC, NERC, or other applicable regulations. Standard AMI meters report historical information at least 15 minutes after the event occurred, but the time lag could be as long as 24 hours.
One exemplary telemetering system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,891,838. This patent describes details surrounding a mesh communication of residential devices and the reporting and control of those devices, via WANs, to a computer. The stated design goal in this patent is to facilitate the “monitoring and control of residential automation systems.” This patent does not explain how a serving utility or customer could actively control the devices to facilitate the reduction of electricity. In contrast, this patent discloses techniques that could be utilized for reporting information that is being displayed by the serving utility's power meter (as do many other prior applications in the field of telemetering).
An additional exemplary telemetering system is disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 20050240315, which describes an improved interactive system for remotely monitoring and establishing the status of a customer utility load. A stated goal of this publication is to reduce the amount of time utility field personnel have to spend in the field servicing meters by utilizing wireless technology.
Another prior art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,823, which describes, in detail, the use of proprietary hardware to remotely turn off or turn on devices within a building or residence. While initially this prior art generally describes a system that would assist utilities in managing power load control, the prior art does not contain the unique attributes necessary to construct or implement a complete system. In particular, this patent is deficient in the areas of security, load accuracy of a controlled device, and methods disclosing how a customer utilizing applicable hardware might set parameters, such as temperature set points, customer preference information, and customer overrides, within an intelligent algorithm that reduces the probability of customer dissatisfaction and service cancellation or churn.
Attempts have been made to bridge the gap between one-way, un-verified power load control management systems and positive control verified power load control management systems. However, until recently, technologies such as smart breakers and command relay devices were not considered for use in residential and commercial environments primarily due to high cost entry points, lack of customer demand, and the cost of power generation relative to the cost of implementing load control or their ability to meet the measurement, telemetry, verification requirements of the grid operator or ISO. Furthermore, submetering technology within the smart breaker, load control device, command relay devices or building control systems have not existed in the prior art.
One such gap-bridging attempt is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 20050065742 A1. This publication discloses a system and method for remote power management using IEEE 802 based wireless communication links. The system described in this publication includes an on-premise processor (OPP), a host processor, and an end device. The host processor issues power management commands to the OPP, which in turn relays the commands to the end devices under its management. While the disclosed OPP does provide some intelligence in the power management system, it does not determine which end devices under its control to turn-off during a power reduction event, instead relying on the host device to make such decision. For example, during a power reduction event, the end device must request permission from the OPP to turn on. The request is forwarded to the host device for a decision on the request in view of the parameters of the on-going power reduction event. The system also contemplates periodic reading of utility meters by the OPP and storage of the read data in the OPP for later communication to the host device. The OPP may also include intelligence to indicate to the host processor that the OPP will not be able to comply with a power reduction command due to the inability of a load under the OPP's control to be deactivated. Neither the host processor nor the OPP tracks or accumulates power saved and/or carbon credits earned on a per customer or per utility basis for future use by the utility and/or customer. Also, the system described in this publication does not provide for secure communications between the host processor and the OPP, and/or between the OPP and the end device.
Thus, none of the prior art systems, methods, or devices provides complete solutions for communications of data packets and messaging with grid elements and network management, including messaging over communication networks and energy management over the electric power grid network. Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for messaging associated with grid element participation including secure data packet messaging to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.